Fields and templates allow you to store information about your documents to make them more searchable and more useful. When working with field and template information, it is important to ensure that the information you are storing is correct and relevant. We recommend the following best practices:
- Select appropriate fields and templates.
- Use consistent language.
- Use proper spelling.
- Fill in as many fields as possible.
Select Appropriate Templates and Fields
In some cases, more than one template may appear relevant for a particular folder or document. However, an entry may only have one template assigned to it at a time. It is therefore important to choose the most appropriate template from the list when assigning a template to a document or folder.
In general, the best way to select a template is to choose the most specific template that is relevant to your document. You should always ensure that the template is relevant to the document you are filing, and that no other template is more relevant.
Show me examples.
Example: A user in the Human Resources department is importing an employee application, and several templates contain potentially relevant fields. The "General" template allows her to store document name and date information. The "HR" template has those fields and also has a field for the employee name and the position. Finally, the "Employment Application" template includes all of the above information, plus fields for the interview status and final decision. Because the "Employment Application" is both relevant and specific, it is the best template to choose for this purpose.
Example: When filing a review form for an existing employee, the Human Resources user must decide what template to assign the form. The "Employment Application" template would not be relevant, as it is specific to a different type of document. If there is no specific template for review forms, she might choose to use the "HR" template. Even though it is not as specific as the "Employment Application" template, it is more relevant.
The same decisions must be made when assigning a field to a document individually. This decision is less critical, as more than one field can be applied to a document. However, it is still important to choose the most appropriate fields, as this can reduce the effort of keeping many fields up to date.
Use Consistent Language
By using consistent language across your organization, you can ensure that a search for a particular field value will return all desired results.
Example: A particular field is designed to store the price of an item. When filling in that field, you could specify the total cost as any of the following: $1, 1 dollar, One dollar, 100 cents, etc. However, if your organization has set a standard of specifying amounts using a dollar sign followed by the amount, your choice would be clear. Additionally, when searching by price, you will know all prices are formatted in a particular way.
In addition to formatting, this concept also applies to your choice of words. If there is an industry standard term for a particular concept, you should use that terminology. If a standard term has not been established, it is highly recommended that your organization decide upon a term.
Use Proper Spelling
Spelling is very important when specifying field information. Typically, field searches are performed for the exact phrase that was entered. If the value assigned to a field value has been misspelled, the results for a field search will not include it. Spelling can have a dramatic effect on how quickly you can retrieve items containing the desired information or whether they will be retrieved at all.
Fill in as Many Fields as Possible
Enter data for as many relevant fields as possible. This has two positive benefits: first, it increases the amount of information used to quickly assess the content of a document or folder; second, searches performed for any relevant field will now return results. This increases the chances that an item will be found in a timely manner.
